3. Gun Violence Prevention

We must stay steadfast in our efforts to reduce gun violence in our country. Despite the numerous horrific acts of gun violence that continue to terrorize our country, Congress has yet to act. Our elected officials can take concrete steps to regulate access to deadly rifles meant for war, fund research on gun violence, and prohibit all abusers from being able to purchase or possess firearms. Right now you can support a regulation on bump stocks, the accessory used in the Las Vegas shooting that speeds up the rate of fire to equal a machine gun, by submitting a comment to regulations.gov. To learn more about how to submit a comment, watch the webinar JWI hosted last Thursday, “Easy Steps to Influence Policy that Supports Women and Girls.”

2. Women in our Military Should Feel Safe

Members of the military put their lives on the line every day to protect America, and yet women in the military don’t feel protected when reporting violence perpetrated against them by a fellow member of the armed forces. In 2013 Senator Gillibrand became the main sponsor of the Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA) to reform procedures in the military to support survivors and professionalize how the military prosecutes crimes like sexual assault. Soon the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will come to the floor for a vote, and Senator Gillibrand intends to introduce the MJIA as an amendment to the bill. Call your Senators and tell them to co-sponsor the MJIA and to vote for it to be included in the NDAA.

1. Our Constitutional Right to Choose

All women have the right to make decisions about their own reproductive choices, but states with conservative legislatures are actively trying to limit this constitutional right. Iowa and Arkansas are the most recent states to pass legislation restricting this right, but Kansas, South Dakota, and Texas top the list of states with the largest number of restrictions. To ensure women have the right to choose call your Senators and Representative and tell them to support the Women’s Health Protection Act, a bill that would prohibit states from restricting abortion access. If you live in a state with abortion restrictions call members of your state legislature and make sure you vote in November to stop politician from imposing dangerous anti-choice policies.